World Briefing | Africa: Congo: Hemorrhagic Fever Suspected; 103 Die30.08.2007 05:01 HealthMore than 100 people have died in a remote part of southeastern Congo, including all those who attended the funerals of two village chiefs, in what health officials fear is an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever. People began dying after the funerals in Mweka, in which relatives washed the bodies of the deceased, said Jean-Constantin Kanow, the chief medical inspector for the province. Four villages are affected, and 217 people became ill, including the 103 who died. In the past, Congo has seen large outbreaks of Marburg and Ebola, hemorrhagic fevers caused by viruses that can attack the central nervous system and cause bleeding from the eyes, ears and other parts of the body. The last major Ebola outbreak struck the city of Kikwit in 1995, killing 245 people. Source: nytimes.comwww.alllee.com |
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